the water batteries being more on a level with them than usual, the gunboats threw in their shells so fast that the aim of the enemy was not very good. The enemy hit our vessels a number of times, but, fight ing bow on, they did but little damage. Not a man was killed, and only a few wounded. I had only ammunition enough for a few minutes longer, and set all hands to work to fill up from our depot beAfter dropping back I found that the enemy had taken possession again of one of the lower hill batteries, and was endeavoring to remount his guns, and had mounted a 12-pounder field piece to fire at General McArthur's troops, which had landed a short time before at Warrenton. I sent the Mound City and the Carondelet to drive him off, which they did in low. a few moments. I beg leave to enclose a letter from Gen. McAr thur, explaining why he did not, to use his own expression, take advantage of the result gained by the gun boats. I have since learned through General Grant, that the army did assault at the right time vigorously. In the noise and smoke we could not hear or see it. The gunboats were, therefore, still fighting when the assault had proved unsuccessful. The army had terrible work before them, and are fighting as well as soldiers ever fought before, but the works are stronger than any of us dreamed of. Gen. Grant and his soldiers are confident that the brave and energetic generals in the army will soon overcome all obstacles and carry the works. (Signed) DAVID D. PORTER, Acting Rear-Admiral, Com. Miss. Squadron. Hon. G. WELLES, Secretary of the Navy. Gen. Grant now determined upon a regular siege of Vicksburg, and immediately began to mine the lines. The orders given to the enemy, by Gen. Pemberton, forbade the waste of ammunition, and thus Gen. Grant was able to commence throwing up works and erecting forts within a short distance of the opposing line of breast works. The firing upon the town was made only during the day, until the 26th of May, after which it was continued day and night. The mortars on the peninsula opposite Vicksburg opened fire on the 25th, and continued it until the surrender. It was estimated at Vicksburg that as many as 6,000 mortar shells were thrown into the town every twenty-four hours, and on the line in the rear of the city, as many as 4,000 in the same time. Of the women and children remaining in the city, three were killed and twelve wounded during the siege. During about five days after the siege commenced, the troops in the city were allowed full rations. At the expiration of that time, they were gradually reduced to the following amount: four ounces of flour, four ounces of bacon, one and a half ounce of rice, two ounces of peas, not eatable, and three ounces of sugar, making a total of fourteen and a half ounces of food daily. The extent of the works, and the limited number of the Confederate troops, required every man to defend their lines, and no time was allowed to rest. Whole companies laid back of their breastworks for three weeks without leaving the line for a moment. The sharpshooters of Gen. Grant's army were regarded by the enemy as splendid shots, and after the first few days of the siege it was dangerous for any one of the enemy to look over their breastworks. In one instance, a hat placed on a stick, and held above a port for two minutes, was pierced by fifteen balls. The sharpshooters of the enemy were no less expert. The garrison was buoyed up with the hope of relief by an attack upon the rear of Gen. Grant's army by Gen. Johnston, who was gathering troops in Mississippi. Meantime every effort was made to strengthen the force under the command of Gen. Grant. He had already ordered a division under Gen. Lanman and four regiments at Memphis to join him. He now brought forward the divisions of Gens. Smith and Kimball, of the sixteenth army corps, and placed them under the command of Maj.-Gen. C. C. Washburn. On the 11th of June, Maj.-Gen. F. J. Herron's division, from the department of Missouri, arrived, and on the 14th, two divisions of the ninth army corps, Maj.-Gen. J. G. Parke commanding, reached Vicksburg. These two divisions were a part of the forces of Gen. Burnside, commanding in the Department of Ohio. This increase of the forces of Gen. Grant enabled him to make the investment of Vicksburg more complete, and at the same time left him a large reserve with which to watch the movements of Gen. Johnston. These reënforcements were arranged by pla cing Gen. Herron's division on the extreme left, south of the city. Gen. Lanman's division was placed between Gens. Herron and McClernand. Gen. Smith's and Gen. Kimball's divisions and the force under Gen. Parke were sent to Haines's Bluff. This place was now fortified on the land side, and every preparation made to resist a heavy force. About the 25th of June, Gen. Johnston crossed the Big Black river with a portion of his force, and everything indicated that he would make an attack. The position of Gen. Grant before Vicksburg having been made as strong against a sortie of the enemy as their works were against an assault, he placed Gen. Sherman in command of all the troops designated to look after Gen. Johnston. The force so designated, in addition to that at Haines's Bluff, was one division from the thirteenth, fifteenth, and seventeenth army corps each, and Gen. Lanman's division. As Gen. Johnston did not make the attack at the time it was expected, Gen. Grant determined to attack him as soon as Vicksburg was taken. He accordingly notified Gen. Sherman that another assault on Vicksburg would be made at daylight on the 6th of July, and ordered him to have up supplies of all descriptions, and to be ready to move upon the receipt of further or ders, if the assault should prove successful. Gen. Sherman made his preparations immediately, and was ready to move earlier than the time appointed. On the 6th of June an attack was made on Milliken's Bend, in which the enemy were repulsed. The Union loss was 101 killed, 285 wounded, and 266 missing. Gen. Halleck, in his report, says: "It is represented that the colored troops, in this desperate engagement, fought with great bravery, and that the rebels treated this class of prisoners of war, as well as their officers, with great barbarity. It has not been possible, however, to ascertain the correctness of the representations in regard to the treatment of these prisoners." A number of skirmishes also took place along the Tensas from Lake Providence to Richmond. The great object of the enemy in these movements was ultimately to approach Vicksburg from the west. All this time the works of the siege were pushed forward. But from the 22d of May to the 25th of June, no attempt upon the city of any serious nature was made, with the exception of the attack of the gunboat Cincinnati, for the purpose of silencing one of the land batteries. The report of this attack was thus made by the officer in charge: MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, FLAG SHIP BLACK HAWK, ABOVE VIOKSBURG, May 27th, 1863. To Rear Admiral D. D. Porter: SIR: In obedience to your order, the Cincinnati got ander way this morning at seven o'clock, and steamed slowly down until a little abreast of where the mortars le. When we rounded to, the enemy fired several shots from a gun called "Whistling Dick," but soon gave it up. At half past eight, with a full head of steam, we stood for the position assigned us. The enemy fired rapidly and from all their batteries. When abreast of our pontoon, and rounding to, a ball entered the magazine, and she commenced sinking rapidly. Shortly after the starboard tiller was carried away. Before and after this the enemy fired with great accuracy, hitting us nearly every time. We were especially annoyed by plunging shots from the hills, and 8-inch rifled and 10inch smooth-bore shots did us much damage. The shots went entirely through our protection-hay and wood. And now, finding that the vessel would sink, Iran her up stream as near the right-hand shore as our damaged steering apparatus would permit. About ten minutes before she sank we ran close in, got out one plank, and put the wounded ashore. We also got a hawser out to make fast to a tree to hold her until she sank. Unfortunately, the men ashore left the bawser without making it fast. The enemy were still firing, and the boat commenced drifting out. I sang out to the men to swim ashore, thinking we were in deeper water (as was reported) than we really were. I suppose about fifteen were drowned and twenty-five killed and wounded, and one probably taken prisoner. This will sum up our whole loss. The boat sank in about three fathoms of water; she lies level and can easily be raised, but lies within range of the enemy's batteries. The vessel went down with her colors nailed to her mast, or rather to the stump of one, all three having been shot away. Our fire, until the magazine was drowned, was good, and I am satisfied did damage. We only tired at a two-gun water battery. Very respectfully, &c., GEO. M. BACHE, Lieut. Commanding. The progress of the mining operations was such, that on the 25th of June a fort, on the immediate right of the Jackson road, was blown up. It was occupied by the Third Louisiana regiment. Its destruction had been anticipated by the enemy, and most of the force was previously withdrawn to an inner line of intrenchments, so that only a few men were wounded by the explosion. As soon as it had been destroyed, a strong column advanced to storm the line, which was met by a force of the enemy, consisting of the Sixth Missouri, and a bloody contest ensued, in which the loss was severe on both sides. The Federal force then retired. On the 29th of June, the same portion of the enemy's line was again blown up, but no attempt to charge was made. All attempts to countermine, on the part of the enemy, were signally unsuccessful, owing to the position of Gen. Grant's works. The state of affairs with-* in the city at this time is thus described by a Confederate officer: "About the thirty-fifth day provisions began to get very scarce, and the advent of Gen. Johnston's relieving force was anxiously and momentarily looked for. Mule meat was the common fare of all alike, and even dogs became in request for the table. Bean meal was made into bread, and corn meal into coffee, and in these straits the garrison patiently dragged on the weary length of one day after another, under a scorching sun, the stench from the unburied corpses all around alone causing the strongest minded, firmest nerved to grow impatient for the day of deliverance. The enemy pushed their works: they blew up several forts, and with them the garrison, and attempted to charge; but the meagre and famished yet steadfast garrison still defiantly held the key of the Mississippi. But everything must have an end. Gen. Pemberton learned from Gen. Johnston that he could not afford him relief, and as the garrison was too famished and reduced to cut its way out, he determined to capitulate." On the 3d of July, about half past seven in the morning, a flag of truce was seen on the crest of a hill above the camp of Gen. Burbridge. An officer was sent to escort the bearers of it, two Confederate officers, blindfold, to the tent of Gen. A. J. Smith, whose front they entered. These officers were Major-Gen. Bowen and Col. Montgomery, of Virginia. They were the bearers of the following despatch from Lieut.-Gen. Pemberton to Gen. Grant: HEADQUARTERS, VICKSBURG, July 3d, 1863. Maj.-Gen. U. S. Grant, commanding U. S. Forces: GENERAL: I have the honor to propose to you an armistice for blank hours, with a view of arranging terms for the capitulation of Vicksburg. To this end, if agreeable to you, I will appoint three commissioners to meet a like number to be named by yourself, at such place and hour to-day as you may find convenient. I blood, which must otherwise be shed to a frightful make this proposition to save the further effusion of extent, feeling myself fully able to maintain my position a yet indefinite period. This communication will be handed you, under a flag of truce, by Major-Gen. James Bowen. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, To this despatch Gen. Grant replied as follows: Lieut-Gen. J. C. Pemberton, commanding Confederate Forces, &c.: GENERAL: Your note of this date, just received, proposes an armistice for several hours, for the purpose of arranging terms of capitulation, through commissioners to be appointed, &c. The effusion of blood you proyou may choose, by an unconditional surrender of the pose stopping by this course can be ended at any time city and garrison. Men who have shown so much en durance and courage as those now in Vicksburg will always challenge the respect of an adversary, and I can assure you will be treated with all the respect due them as prisoners of war. I do not favor the proposition of appointing commissioners to arrange terms of capitulation, because I have no other terms than those indicated above. I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, U. S. GRANT, Major-General. Gen. Bowen, the bearer of Gen. Pemberton's letter, expressed to Gen. Smith a strong desire to converse with Gen. Grant, and according ly Gen. Grant, while declining this, requested Gen. Smith to say if Gen. Pemberton desired to see him, an interview would be granted between the lines, in McPherson's front, at any hour in the afternoon which Gen. Pemberton might appoint. A message was soon sent back to Gen. Smith, appointing three o'clock as the hour. At that time Gen. Grant, with his staff and Gens. McPherson, Ord, A. J. Smith, and Logan, was at the place, which was a fruit orchard midway between the front of the two contending forces. Gen. Pemberton soon came, attended by Gen. Bowen and Col. Montgomery. As the two commanders drew near each other, both, as though involuntarily, paused. The slight embarrassment was brought to a close by Col. Montgomery, who stepped forward and formally introduced them. They shook each other by the hand, and, after a few words, Gen. Grant proposed a private conversation, which was accepted, and the two generals stepped aside. The conference closed by Gen. Grant saying that he would send his proposition in writing. After an interview with his officers at his headquarters, Gen. Grant sent the following letter, by Gen. Logan and Col. Wilson, to Gen. Pemberton: HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, Lieut.-Gen. J. C. Pemberton, commanding Confederate I am, General, very respectfully, U. S. GRANT, Major-General. About the dawn of day, on the morning of July 4th, the following reply was received from Gen. Pemberton : HEADQUARTERS, VICKSBURG, July 3d, 1863. Major-Gen. U. S. Grant, commanding United States Forces, etc. GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date, proposing terms for the surrender of this garrison and post. In the main, your terms are accepted; but in justice both to the honor and spirit of my troops, manifested in the defence of Vicksburg, I have the honor to submit the following amendments, which, if acceded to by you, will perfect the agreement between us: At ten o'clock to-morrow, I propose to evacuate the works in and around Vicksburg, and to surrender the city with my colors and arms, and stacking them in front and garrison under my command by marching out of my present lines, after which you will take possession. Officers to retain their side arms and personal property, and the rights and property of citizens to be respected. I am, General, yours, very respectfully, J. C. PEMBERTON, Lieutenant-General. To this letter Gen. Grant immediately replied as follows: HEADQUARTERS BEFORE VICKSBURG, July 4th, 1863. Lieut.-Gen. J. C. Pemberton, commanding Forces in Vicksburg: GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge your communication of 3d July. The amendments proposed by you cannot be acceded to in full. It will be necessary to furnish every officer and man with a parole, signed by himself, which, with the completion of Again, I can make no stipulation in regard to the the rolls of prisoners, will necessarily take some time. treatment of citizens and their private property. While I do not propose to cause any of them any undue annoyance or loss, I cannot consent to leave my. which officers can be allowed to take with them will self under restraint by stipulations. The property be as stated in proposition of last evening; that is, officers will be allowed their private baggage and side arms, and mounted officers one horse each. If you mean by your proposition for each brigade to march to the front of the lines now occupied by it, and stack their arms at ten o'clock A. M., and then return to the inside and remain as prisoners until properly paroled, I will make no objections to it. Should no modification be made of your acceptance of my terms by nine jected, and act accordingly. Should these terms be o'clock A. M., I shall regard them as having been reaccepted, white flags will be displayed along your lines, to prevent such of my troops as may not have been notified from firing upon your men. I am, General, very respectfully, your obedient serU. S. GRANT, Major-General U. S. Army. To this letter the following answer was received: vant. HEADQUARTERS VICKSBURG, July 4th, 1863. Major-Gen. U. S. Grant, commanding U. S. Forces, &c.: GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of this date, and in reply to say that the terms proposed by you are accepted. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, J. C. PEMBERTON, Lieutenant-General. Of the terms of the surrender, Gen. Grant thus speaks in his report: "These terms I regarded more favorable to the Government than an unconditional surrender. It saved us the transportation of them North, which at that time would have been very difficult, owing to the limited amount of river transportation on hand, and the expense of subsisting them. It left our army free to operate against Johnston, who was threatening us from the direction of Jack son; and our river transportation to be used for the movement of troops to any point the exigency of the service might require." At ten o'clock on the 4th, the Confederate forces marched out and stacked arms in front of their works, while Gen. Pemberton appear ed for a moment with his staff upon the parapet of the central front. The city was immediately after occupied by the divisions of Gens. Logan, J. E. Smith, and Herron. The part taken by the naval force in these operations is thus summarily described by RearAdmiral Porter, in a despatch to the Secretary of the Navy, as follows: U. S. MISSISSIPPI SQUADRON, FLAG SHIP BLACK HAWK, July 4th, 1863. SIR: I have the honor to inform you that Vicksburg has surrendered at last to the United States forces, after a desperate but vain resistance. That she has not done so sooner has not been for want of ability on the part of our military commanders, but from the magnitude of the defences, which were intended to repulse any force the Government could possibly send there. What bearing this will have on the rebellion remains yet to be seen, but the magnitude of the success must go far toward crushing out this revolution, and establishing once more the commerce of the States bordering on this river. History has seldom had an opportunity of recording so desperate a defence on one side, with so much courage, ability, perseverance and endurance on the other; and if ever an army was entitled to the gratitude of a nation, it is the Army of the Tennessee and its gallant leaders. The navy has necessarily performed a less conspicnous part in the capture of Vicksburg than the army; still it has been employed in a manner highly creditable to all concerned. The gunboats have been constantly below Vicksburg in shelling the works, and with suc cess cooperating heartily with the left wing of the army, The mortar boats have been at work for fortytwo days without intermission, throwing shells into all parts of the city, even reaching the works in the rear of Vicksburg and in front of our troops, a distance of three miles. Three heavy guns placed on scows, a nine-inch, ten-inch, and a one-hundred-pounder rifle were placed in position a mile from the town, and commanded all the important water batteries. They have kept up an accurate and incessant fire for fourteen days, doing all the damage that could be done by guns under such circumstances. Five eight-inch, two nine-inch, two forty-two-pounder rifles, four thirty-twopounder shell guns have been landed, at the request of the different generals commanding corps, from the gunboats, and mounted in the rear of Vicksburg; and whenever I could spare the officers and men from our small complement, they were sent to manage the guns, with what ability I leave the general commanding the forces to say. under Gen. Ellet, and a small force under Gens. Dennis and Mower, have kept at bay a large force of rebels, over twelve thousand strong, accompanied by a large quantity of artillery. Though offered battle several times and engaged, they invariably fled, and satisfied themselves by assailing half-disciplined and unlarge army and naval force free to act all along the armed blacks. The capture of Vicksburg leaves a river, and I hope soon to add to my department the vessels which have been temporarily lost to the service, viz., the Indianola and Cincinnati. The effect of this blow will be felt far up the tributaries of the Mississippi. The timid and doubtful will take heart, and the wicked will, I hope, cease to trouble us, for fear of the punishment which will sooner or later overtake them. In the mean time, I stationed the smaller class of gunboats to keep the banks of the Mississippi clear of guerillas, who were assembling in force, and with a large number of cannon, to block up the river and cut off the transports bringing down supplies, reënforcements, and ammunition for the army. Though the rebels on several occasions built batteries, and with a large force attempted to sink or capture the transports, they never succeeded, but were defeated by the gunboats with severe loss on all occasions. Without a watchful care over the Mississippi, the operations of army would have been much interfered with; and I can say honestly that officers never did their duty better than those who have patrolled the river from Cairo to Vicksburg. One steamer only was badly disabled since our operations commenced, and six or seven men killed and wounded. the While the army have had a troublesome enemy in front and behind them, the gunboats, marine brigade, VOL. III.-5 A There has been a large expenditure of ammunition during the siege. The mortars have fired seven thou sand mortar shells, and the gunboats four thousand five hundred. Four thousand five hundred have been fired from the naval guns on shore, and we have supplied six thousand to the different army corps. DAVID D. PORTER, A. R.-Admiral, comm'ng Mississippi Squadron. Hon. GIDEON WELLES, Sec'y of the Navy. The result of his operations is thus summed up by Gen. Grant: "The result of this campaign has been the defeat of the enemy in five battles outside of Vicksburg; the occupation of Jackson, the capital of the State of Mississippi, and the capture of Vicksburg and its garrison and munitions of war; a loss to the enemy of thirty-seven thousand (37,000) prisoners, among whom were fifteen general officers; at least ten thousand killed and wounded, and among the killed, Generals Tracy, Tilghman, and Green; and hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of stragglers, who can never be collected and reorganized. Arms and munitions of war for an army of sixty thousand men have fallen into our hands, besides a large amount of other public property, consisting of railroads, locomotives, cars, steamboats, cotton, &c., and much was destroyed to prevent our capturing it. "Our loss in the series of battles may be summed up as follows: "Of the wounded, many were but slightly wounded, and continued on duty; many more required but a few days or weeks for their recovery. Not more than one-half of the wounded were permanently disabled." Gen. Pemberton, having been paroled, marched On Saturday, the 11th of July, the force of from Vicksburg, and arrived at the Big Black river at night. Thence they were distributed to different parts of the South. On the 13th of July, the President addressed the following letter to Gen. Grant: EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, July 13th, 1863. MY DEAR GENERAL: I do not remember that you and I ever met personally. I write this now as a grateful acknowledgment for the almost inestimable service you have done the country. I wish to say a word further. When you first reached the vicinity of Vicksburg, I thought you should do what you finally did-march the troops across the neck, run the batteries with the transports, and thus go below; and I never had any faith, except a general hope that you knew better than I, that the Yazoo Pass expedition and the like could succeed. When you got below and took Port Gibson, Grand Gulf, and vicinity, I thought you should go down the river and join Gen. Banks, and when you turned northward, east of the Big Black, I feared it was a mistake. I now wish to make the personal acknowledgment that you were right and I was wrong. Yours, very truly, A. LINCOLN. Major-General GRANT. Major-Gen. Halleck, the General-in-Chief, in his annual report, thus speaks of Gen. Grant's operations: "When we consider the character of the country in which this army operated, the formidable obstacles to be overcome, the number of forces and the strength of the enemy's works, we cannot fail to admire the courage and endurance of the troops, and the skill and daring of their commander. No more brilliant exploit can be found in military history. It has been alleged, and the allegation has been widely circulated by the press, that Gen. Grant, in the conduct of his campaign, positively disobeyed the instructions of his superiors. It is hardly necessary to remark, that Gen. Grant never disobeyed an order or instruction, but always carried out to the best of his ability, every wish or suggestion made to him by the Government. Moreover, he has never complained that the Government did not furnish him all the means and assistance in its power, to facilitate the execution of any plan he saw fit to adopt." After the capture of Vicksburg, Gen. Grant reported that his troops were so much fatigued and worn out with forced marches and the labors of the siege, as to absolutely require several weeks of repose, before undertaking another campaign. Nevertheless, as the exigencies of the service seemed to require it, he sent out those who were least fatigued on several important expeditions, while the others remained at Vicksburg, to put that place in a better defensive condition for a small garrison. off the white inhabitants and burned the grist mills, cotton gins, and granaries, and destroyed the crops. The result of the expedition of Gen. Sherman is thus stated in the despatches of Gen. Grant: VICKSBURG, July 15th. To Major-Gen. Halleck, General-in-Chief: river on the north to the river on the south. This Finding that Yazoo City was being fortified, I sent Gen. Herron there with his division. He captured several hundred prisoners, five pieces of heavy artil lery, and all the public stores fell into our hands. The enemy burned three steamboats on the approach of the gunboats. The De Kalb was blown up and sunk in fifteen feet of water, by the explosion of a shell. Finding that the enemy was crossing cattle for the rebel army at Natchez, and were said to have several thousand there, I have sent troops and steamboats to collect them, and destroy all their boats and means for making more. U. S. GRANT, Major-General. (Signed) VICKSBURG, July 18th. To Major-Gen. H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief: 16th instant. He is now in full retreat cast. SherJoe Johnston evacuated Jackson the night of the man says most of his army must perish from heat, lack of water, and general discouragement. The army paroled here have, to a great extent, deserted, and are scattered over the country in every direction. General Ransom was sent to Natchez to stop the crossing of cattle for the eastern army. On arrival, he found large numbers had been driven out of the city to be pastured. Also, that munitions of war had recently been crossed over to wait for Kirby Smith. He mounted about 200 of his men and sent them in both directions. They captured a number of prison ers, 5,000 head of Texas cattle, 2,000 head of which were sent to Gen. Banks, the balance have been and will be brought here. In Louisiana they captured ammunition. Over 2,000,000 rounds of ammunition more prisoners, and a number of teams loaded with were brought back to Natchez with the teams captured; and 268,000 rounds, besides artillery ammuni tion, were destroyed. (Signed) U.S. GRANT, Major-Gen. Commanding. The destruction of property at Jackson was most complete. On the south the railroad was injured as far as Brookhaven, a distance of fifty miles. On the north it was torn up at Immediately upon the surrender of the city, intervals for twenty miles. At Jackson extenGen. Sherman, with his force increased by the sive machine shops, five locomotives, and a remainder of both the thirteenth and fifteenth large number of cars were destroyed by fire. corps, moved in pursuit of Gen. Johnston. The road east was torn up at intervals to BranWhen Gen. Grant moved his army from Jack-don, fifteen miles. The bridges at Jackson, son to Vicksburg, Gen. Johnston moved north to Canton. It now became the object of Gen. Johnston to collect a force to attack the rear of Gen. Grant. His energies were thus devoted during the whole siege of Vicksburg. Yet the country had been so exhausted of men to fill the army in Virginia, a force could not be obtained sufficient to rescue Vicksburg. With the troops which he had collected, he now approached the rear of the Federal army. The country for fifty miles around Vicksburg had -by orders of Gen. Grant on the 26th of May -been laid waste by Gen. Blair, who drove some of which were costly, were also destroyed. This destruction secured Gen. Grant in the undisturbed possession of the western part of the State. The city was formerly one of the most prosperous in the Southern States. It was thus described at the time of its capture: "As the seat of government, it has the capitol buildings, the penitentiary, the gover nor's house, the asylum for the deaf and dumb and the insane; and in addition a fine court house, two excellent hotels, large blocks of stores, a cotton factory, a couple of founderies, grist mills, and a large number of splendid |